


Friendsgiving

by Hellas_himself



Series: Crack Ship Holidays [2]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Genre: Other, cassian x feyre, crack ship holidays, crack ships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-01-30 04:06:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21421903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellas_himself/pseuds/Hellas_himself
Summary: Sooo this is kicking off from where we left those two dorks last. It'll encompass the time before, during, and a tad bit after friendsgiving (thanksgiving if that's what you prefer).
Relationships: Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien & Rowan Whitethorn, Andromache/Morrigan (ACoTaR), Elain Archeron/Azriel, Feyre Archeron & Cassian, Rhysand & Lucien Vanserra
Series: Crack Ship Holidays [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1537876
Comments: 14
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo this is kicking off from where we left those two dorks last. It'll encompass the time before, during, and a tad bit after friendsgiving (thanksgiving if that's what you prefer).

I hum along to one of the songs playing on my phone as I tap my pencil against the counter. I have three different budget options laid out in front of me and none of them work. The first one, I pay the rent and my car insurance but not my phone. The second, I pay the rent but not my car insurance to have my phone active in case the school called me. The third- I laugh. I can’t _not_ pay rent. The bar had sent its last check but it was not enough. I was screwed. I only have until the fifth to pay my rent before my asshole landlord starts bitching about kicking me out. 

When I hear the front door unlock, I gather my bills and the envelopes I wrote on and put them into a pile. Cassian steps into my apartment and pulls off his hat.

“Can you believe it’s already snowing?” he asks as he closes the door.

“I hope it sticks,” I reply as I slide off the bar stool to greet him. His coat is wet and cold when I hug him but I don’t care. Not when he kisses me the way he does.

“Ready to go?” he asks and I smile.

“Let me go get my coat.”

He kisses me again before I hurry to my room. I grab the bag I packed with more clothes as well as the big bag full of my art supplies. Cassian had said I should have it just in case the school called me so I could just leave directly. His optimism is touching.

Cassian is leaning against the counter when I step out. He looks pensive but once he notices me, he grins and pushes himself off to take the bags from my hands.

The car ride to his house is quiet, but Cassian holds my hand the entire way. Every time he looks at me, I blush. Once we get to his house, I bring Valo outside while Cas carries my things to the bedroom.

“How was work?” I ask when Cassian comes to stand beside me. He puts an arm around my shoulder.

“It was great. Az and I got to work on a piece together. I wish you would’ve been there to see it.”

“Maybe next time?”

He presses a kiss to my temple.

“Yeah. We aren’t done by a long shot.”

“I can’t wait then.”

“What about you, bunny?”

“Well. When I wasn’t texting you, I was cleaning up the apartment and finishing up on laundry. I got my last check from the bar so I deposited it in the bank. I saw Aelin,” I say. “She was on her lunch break. I can’t believe we’d never run into one another before.”

Cassian chuckles.

“Oh and the groomer called to confirm Val’s appointment tomorrow. I told her I’d be there.”

“Thank you, bunny.”

I shrug and call our giant puppy over. Valo runs right into me and I don’t fall thanks to the arm Cassian has around me.

“Hey! Be careful, Val!” Cassian reprimands. Val whines and walks in a circle around us before bumping his head against my hand.

“It’s okay, baby. You’re happy I’m here, huh? I am too,” I say and kiss the top of his head.

Cassian lets me go and walks over to the small bin in the corner of the porch and pulls out a ball. He whistles to get Val’s attention before he throws it. I’m surprised it didn’t go over the fence by the force of it. Val barks and takes off after it.

“Will you be alright?” Cassian asks me.

“What do you mean?”

“With rent and all that?”

Oh. I blush and shove my hands in my pockets.

“I’ll figure it out.”

I don’t have to look at Cassian to know that he’s not satisfied with that answer. But he puts an arm around me and kisses the top of my hair. When Val comes back, I take the ball and Cassian laughs when I throw it. It doesn’t get very far but Val is thrilled.

“Why don’t you go pick a menu from that drawer in the kitchen and pick something for dinner? There’s cash in my wallet.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I would rather spend the next forty minutes with my beautiful girlfriend and our oversized lap dog than have to go inside and cook today.”

I giggled. “Alright. I’ll be right back.”

I give him a quick hug before I walk towards the door.

“Oh, and bunny?”

“Yes?” I stop and turn to look at him.

“I’ve got you,” he says. “Don’t worry about anything.”

I realize he isn’t talking about paying for dinner.

*

“Feyre’s here. I’ll call you when I get home… I love you too, Az.” Elain smiles at whatever Azriel is saying to her on the phone before she hangs up and slides the phone into her back pocket. She pushes herself off her SUV and opens her arms to me.

“Hey, you,” Elain says as I give her a hug. 

“Hey! I hope you weren’t waiting long. There was so much traffic coming here from the dog groomers.”

She kisses my cheek. “No, I just got here. Besides, it makes me feel like I’m in high school again when Az and I talk on the phone. I like it.”

Elain gives me a wink and when she grins, I already know what’s on her mind.

“_You_ look happy.”

I know I’m blushing as Elain links her arm in mine.

“I am.”

“Az says Cassian has been smiling like an idiot lately. I wonder why.”

I roll my eyes but I can’t help the smile on my face.

“He asked me to be his girlfriend, El.”

“He did? When?”

“After the Halloween party.”

“About damn time,” Elain mutters and lets me go to grab a cart. She pulls a list out of her pocket and hands it to me. “Iliana’s been pestering me about you two, she’ll finally leave me alone.”

We share a laugh as we step into the store. Elain’s grocery list is divided by groups and despite the glitter gel pen used, this is Azriel’s handwriting.

“Your husband is so organized,” I say as we make our first stop.

“Well. Since I’m in charge of Rhysand’s birthday cake this year, I figured I’ll get some stuff now so closer to the date I’m not running around. With my luck, I wouldn’t find what I want if I leave it for then.”

“I agree with that wholeheartedly.”

“Speaking of which, I need your help designing it.”

“What’s the theme?”

“Lucien has no idea how to top Mor’s Harry Potter theme last year. The only thing Rhys loves more than that is The Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings.”

“Oh! I can work with that.”

I hand Elain the list and pull out my phone.

_LUCE!!!! Wheel of Time or LOTR? I can do either or. Or both. _I hit send and slip my phone into my back pocket. We talk idly as we make our way down Azriel’s perfectly organized list.

“Cas and I take forever to do this,” I say as I grab a tub of ice cream from the freezer. “I might have to steal Az’s idea.”

Elain snorts. “That’s because you two are children. How does Cassian even fit in these carts? I don’t know how you’re still allowed to shop here.”

I smile and push the cart for Elain as we head towards the cashiers to pay. I feel my phone vibrate and pull it out of my pocket.

“I wonder what he decided,” I say as I unlock my phone. But it isn’t a text from Lucien. But from my bank. I don’t realize I’ve stopped walking until Elain tugs on my sleeve.

“Feyre?”

I breathe in sharply and let it out. I clear my throat and shove my phone back in my pocket.

“It’s nothing. It wasn’t Lucien.”

“What’s wrong?”

I shake my head and try to keep going but Elain stops me.

“Feyre. Is Tamlin still bothering you?”

I don’t like the way his name still pierces my heart and makes me feel afraid.

“No. It isn’t him… It’s just…” I stop and look away, needing to keep myself from crying. “Stupid car insurance already took the payment and so did my phone. I’m so fucking screwed.”

“Hey… If you need help, you know Az and I can take care of it.”

I shake my head with a sniffle.

“No. I’ll figure it out.”

Elain puts a hand over mine and nods her head.

“Let’s go pay for this,” she says. “I’m bringing Az lunch today. We can surprise Cassian, too.”

I nod and return her smile.

*

I don’t see Cassian when Elain and I step into the tattoo shop. But Az notices us and is already making his way over. He kisses Elain as though he hasn’t seen her in forever, leaving my sister blushing. Rhys has gratefully come to sweep me off my feet, literally.

“Hello, darling,” he says with a grin. When he sets me down, Az comes to give me a hug.

“Hungry?” Elain asks, and holds up his Marvel lunch box, a beat up, metal lunch box he’s had since grade school and Iliana had found at her grandmother’s house last summer and he’s used ever since. Az looks at his lunch box and then looks at Elain with a smile.

“I’m starving.”

“Stop it,” she whispers loudly and lets Az lead her away.

“What about me?” Rhys whines and I laugh.

“We both know Lucien is bringing you something.”

Rhys is beaming. “Aurelie is sending left overs.”

Rhys puts an arm around my shoulder and guides me to the break room. Cassian is walking inside from the back door when we step into the hallway.

“Bunny?”

“Hey, Cas.” Rhys wiggles his eye brows at us before he goes off to pester Elain and Az. “Elain made lunch so I brought you some.”

By some weird coincidence, my pink bento box was in Elain’s kitchen cupboard. It’s covered in purple butterflies and blue bunny rabbits. Cassian closes the space between us and takes it from my hands with an amused smile.

“Now I know I didn’t lose your lunch box,” he says and gives me a kiss. “When Lia stayed the night for their anniversary, I packed her school lunch with this.”

“That was months ago, Cas.”

He shrugs and I roll my eyes. I take his hand and lead him into the break room where everyone stops and stares at us. I have to let him go to take off my coat but once it’s hung up, he takes my hand again.

“Finally,” Az says and bites into his sandwich. Elain slaps his arm which seems to amuse him further.

Cassian sits down in his usual seat and pulls me down onto his lap. He slides an arm around me and uses one hand to open the bento box to pull out the sandwich Elain had made. I’m content to lean back and listen while he and the boys talk about their morning. Their plans for the evening.

“What’s wrong?” Cassian asks softly. I shake my head. “Did you eat?”

“Yeah… El and I ate before we left the house.”

“Valo still with Amanda?”

I nod. “He should be done soon.”

I can tell the others are trying and failing at pretending they’re not listening to our conversation despite having their own.

“I’d go with you to get him but I’ve got someone at one.”

“It’s okay,” I say and press a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll walk him over later so we can ride home together.”

Cassian smiles.

After lunch, Cassian shows me the tattoo he’s working on. It’s a full sleeve.

“Bunny,” he says and puts his arm around me. “You zoned out. You didn’t even notice Az’s joke.”

“I did?” _Fuck_.

“What’s wrong?”

I let out a sigh and lean into him.

“The fucking car insurance and my phone payments went through this morning but that was rent money and I can’t believe I forgot to ask them not to use the auto pay this month.”

“Hey… hey, it’s okay. I’ve got you.”

“Cas…” I want to cry. I hate how much I want to cry.

“We’ll talk about this when we get home,” he says and pulls me in for a hug. “Just… consider it. Please.”

I nod. “Let me get out of here,” I say, though I do not wish to be anywhere but here in his arms. “Val should be done soon.”

Cassian kisses me softly. “I love you,” he says.

“I love you,” I say back, and force myself to leave.

*

My arms are around Cassian’s neck, holding onto him as he kisses me ardently. His grip on my thigh is almost to the point of pain and I know it’s going to bruise. I don’t care. He’s panting when we stop to breathe, and I meet his gaze when he looks at me and I smile.

“Holy shit,” he says breathlessly and adjusts himself so that he’s merely laying on top of me. I don’t want to move. I’m not sure if I could if I tried. “That was…” He whistles.

“You’re carrying me around for the rest of the night,” I manage and he laughs.

“My pleasure.”

Cassian goes quiet as I run my fingers through his hair.

“Bunny,” Cas says, his voice like gravel. “Move in with me.”

I pause. “What?” My voice is no better than his.

“I’ll break the lease.”

“No… I mean. You’re serious?”

Cassian pushes himself up to look at me. The look on his face makes me want to kiss him.

“I don’t want you stressing over something so easily remedied. You practically live here anyway. The apartment isn’t anything more than storage.”

“But Cas…”

“When you start working, you can fight me on bills.”

I scowl and he leans in to kiss me.

“If it’s too soon, I’ll pay the rent.”

I shake my head, hating that there are tears in my eyes. Cassian panics but I reach up to pull him against me again.

“Okay,” I say.

“Okay?”

“I’m sorry I’m crying… I’m just so overwhelmed and-” Cassian interrupts me with a kiss. He rolls us so that he’s on his back and I’m on top of him. My hair falls over my shoulders, and he reaches up to tuck some of it behind my ear.

“You’ll move in with me? Like for real?” He sounds the way he does on Christmas morning and he’s about to get his present.

“Yeah. For real.”

He sighs with relief and then his expression softens. I close my eyes and I feel him brush away the tears still falling from my eyes.

“Don’t apologize for how you feel. Least of all for crying.”

“I know, I’m-” I stop and open my eyes to look at him. I blush. “I’m trying.”

He places his hand at the nape of my neck.

“I know, bunny… I know.”

I smile. “You are the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Though he flashes me a cocky grin, he’s blushing.

“I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”

“Bunny…”

“Yes?”

“You’re making me blush,” he says in a rather conspiratorial tone. “I have a reputation.”

“But I like it when you blush,” I say with a pout. It’s so hard not to laugh.

“Fuck my reputation,” he declares and kisses me in such a way, I know we’re not going to bed anytime soon.

*

“Can I have this?” Mor asks and I look up from where I am sitting on the carpet. She’s holding up a red sweater I’ve never worn before.

“Sure.”

I go back to unscrewing the bedframe. Mor had taken the liberty of going through my dresser and closet while Cassian, Az and Rhys moved the heavy furniture downstairs to put in Cassian and Azriel’s trucks. I am giving it all away. Lucien has been changing my address online most of the morning, he even submitted the form to the post office for me.

“Hello, hello!”

I look up to find Aelin standing in my doorway.

“What are you doing here?”

She shrugs and walks over to where I am sitting. I give her a hug when I stand up.

“Rowan had wanted to go to the gym with Cassian but he said he was busy moving his _girlfriend_ out of her apartment and into his lovely home,” she says and pokes my side. “When did this happen?”

“Just a few days ago.”

“That’s unacceptable. I gave you my number, right?”

I shake my head, and she groans. With a laugh, I unlock and hand her my phone. She takes ONE selfie and saves it for her contact picture. 

“In one try?” I ask, completely taken aback.

“It’s all about knowing your angles,” she says proudly. “I can show you.”

“Uh… Yeah. Maybe once I’m all settled in.”

Aelin beams at me and hands me my phone.

“Now you have no excuse. I want to know _everything_. I need to know else I’ll die.”

“Ignore her. She’s no better than Tinker Bell.”

Rowan walks into the room with Cassian right behind him. He comes to hug me hello and he keeps an arm around my shoulder before reaching out to pinch Aelin’s cheek.

“So. Tell us what to do. We’re all yours today,” Rowan says.

“Damn babe. I thought you were kidding when you said you wanted-” Rowan silences Aelin with a glare that has her cackling.

“Uh… My bookshelf? I have a separate bin for the fragile stuff.”

Mor peers out of the closet. She looks like she’s up to no good.

“Let Rowan do the shelf. Come help me get these clothes sorted,” she says to Aelin who wriggles her eye brows as she walks off to join Mor. Rowan follows her and says hi to Mor before shrugging off his coat.

Cassian makes his way towards me as Rowan grabs himself a cardboard box and unfolds it before the bookshelf.

“You alright?” Cas wraps his arms around me. I bite down a shiver from how cold his sweater is.

“Yeah… You?”

“I ordered pizza. Elain is on her way over here with Iliana.”

I smile and give him a kiss.

“Perfect.”

“I’m leaving with Az to drop the furniture off. But call me if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

Cassian kisses me, earning a sound of disgust from Mor. When we look at her, she stops and sighs.

“God, I love you guys,” she says and before I notice, she’s got her phone out and I am blinded by the flash. 


	2. Part Two

With my furniture gone, we eat pizza on the living room floor. Cassian pulls me onto his lap while I hold our plate. Aelin is lying on the floor with her head on Rowan’s lap and he’s purposely not feeding her pizza as she asked. Rhys and Lucien are sitting back against the wall and Rhys has his arm around Lucien’s shoulder. Mor might have shut off the flash but I can tell that she’s taking pictures of us all from where she sits on the kitchen counter, next to the box of white pizza Cassian ordered specifically for her.

When the door unlocks, Az steps inside but Iliana rushes past her father and makes her way towards Cassian and I.

“So it’s true?! You’re gonna have a baby now!” she blurts out and Rowan nearly chokes on his food while Aelin howls.

“Hello to you, too,” I say as I set our plate down and hug her tight. She starts to laugh, especially when Cassian starts tickling her. Her laugh reminds me so much of Elain but that mischievous glint in her eyes is all Azriel.

“Daddy says you finally stopped being a…” She mouths a word that has Cassian glaring daggers at Az who raises his hands innocently.

“I said nothing.”

Iliana presses a kiss to Cassian’s cheek.

“It’s okay, tio. Mommy told him not to talk like that in front of me even if she agreed.”

My sister is blushing which makes Cassian laugh.

“It’s okay. They were both right,” he says as she sits next to him. “So thank _you_, Lia.”

“Me? What did I do?”

I lean in real close and whisper, “For helping your tio stop being a complete _pendejo_.”

I give her a wink, and our niece starts cackling. Cassian is feigning offense when I sit upright.

“I love you,” I say and he pinches my side, making me laugh.

“I hope it’s a boy,” Lia says haughtily. “I want to be the only girl.”

*

Cassian insists on carrying my box full of rolls of canvas, stretched canvas and brushes.

“Just get the door,” he says with a wink and I roll my eyes. I can hear Az and Iliana playing with Valo in the backyard. Everyone got here before we did; I handed in my keys to the landlord and Cassian broke the lease. I was still internally cringing from how much money he just spent. And yet, he has been grinning from ear to ear ever since.

Rowan and Aelin are setting up my bookshelf in the living room while Rhysand and Mor busy themselves with my closet. Lucien is in the kitchen putting away what little I had as I gave away everything I didn’t need.

“Shouldn’t we bring that to the garage?” I ask as he continues on towards the bedrooms.

“I don’t want you painting around weights and shit,” he replies as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “So I thought of something.”

“What?” I ask but he says nothing and stops in front of one of the guestrooms.

“Get that for me, will you?”

I roll my eyes and open the door. I have to remember how to breathe.

“Cas…”

The bed, the dresser, all of it was gone and replaced with a desk. An easel. With the curtains pulled aside, the light in the room was perfect.

“I have to set up the shelves in the closet but-”

I grab him by the collar of his shirt and kiss him. He smiles when I step back. I’m blushing.

“I can’t believe you.”

He grins and bring the box to the closet.

“I want you to have your own space,” he says and sets it down on the floor before turning to face me. “I have mine. Now you have yours.”

“Get over here,” I say and he smiles, closing the space between us.

*

I wake up at the sound of Cassian’s alarm going off. This isn’t the first time, but I still find myself smiling. Cassian is holding me against him and he hasn’t woken up yet. Carefully, I turn until I’m facing him and press a kiss to his cheek. His jaw. His neck and across his collar bone. I see him smile.

“Good morning,” I whisper.

“Good morning, bunny,” he whispers back and rolls onto his back, taking me with him. He reaches over and grabs his phone, tapping on the screen until the alarm stops. He opens his eyes and squints at the screen.

“What?”

“Mor.”

He shows me his phone. _Morrigan_not_la_fey tagged you and bunny_darling in a post. _I unlock his phone and open the post. I snort. The caption reads, ‘FUCKING FINALLY’. There are several pictures; the first is of Cassian and I last night on the sofa with Val sprawled across our laps, followed by one of us eating pizza with everyone else on the living room floor. Then one with Cas and I kissing in the bedroom with Rowan in the background disassembling the bookshelf and then Halloween night where he had lifted me up and she’d interrupted us.

“I love this,” I say with a laugh and set the phone down.

“Yeah?”

“Mhm.”

“Was it really that obvious to everyone?” he asks and rubs the sleep from his eyes.

“To everyone but us, I guess.”

He smirks and grabs his phone. I am content to watch him no doubt replying to Mor but then I hear my phone go off. I raise a brow and begrudgingly slide off of Cassian to get to my phone. I laugh when I see Cassian’s request to update my relationship status.

“You’re silly,” I say and accept it. “Oh! Can I match our profile pictures?”

“To what?” he asks and shifts to lay beside me, putting an arm over my back. He slides his phone in front of me.

“This one. The one Mor took of us outside.”

“Okay,” he says with a yawn.

Both of our phones start going off as our friends and family begin commenting on the posts.

“Why don’t you sleep a little more? I’ll make coffee and wake you up when it’s done,” I say as I pry myself out of his hold. His response is incoherent.

Cassian had fallen asleep last night waiting for me to finish unpacking. But it was worth staying up so late. Everything was in its place; it didn’t look like I’d just moved in. The art room was a mess but it didn’t bother me. I had the entire day for that.

After I wash up and put up my hair, I put on Cassian’s shirt and basketball shorts and walk to the kitchen. I let Val out while I get the coffee going and I let myself look at my phone. Endless congratulations and like after like. Rhys and Mor reminding Lucien and Az that they won some bet they’d made months ago about when and how Cassian would ‘finally’ ask me to be his girlfriend. I felt ridiculous smiling while I read the messages and I was blushing while I looked at that picture of us. It was perfect.

Cassian of course, comes to the kitchen already showered and ready to go. I set his coffee down on the counter and pile pancakes on his plate. He looks surprised.

“I ate one,” I say. “You’re not going to die.”

He laughs and takes a seat.

“It’s been a while since anyone made me anything… Well, someone that wasn’t Rhys or Az.”

“Maybe I’ll start practicing and I’ll cook for you every day.”

“And deny myself the pleasure of how you react to my cooking?”

I laugh. “So, maybe not _every_ day.”

Cassian holds out his arm, motioning for me to come closer. When I do, he holds me against him. I wrap my arms around his neck and lean into him.

“I don’t know how I waited this long,” he says softly. “This is… I’m just happy that you’re home with me.”

“I am, too.” I kiss his cheek. “I love you, Cassian.”

“I love you, bunny.”

*

For the zillionth time this evening, my phone blacks out while I read the stupid recipe I have been following for dinner. Cassian is working late today and I wanted to surprise him. For more reasons than this.

“Do you think daddy will like burnt chicken for dinner?” I ask Valo and sigh. The dog looks at me sideways and I laugh. “I’m kidding. This is going to be fine.”

After making the yogurt sauce and chopping up the onions and other things I’ll need as a topping, I get the marinated chicken onto the iron skillet. It smells like heaven. I preheat the oven and make to wash a few dishes when I hear my phone go off. Twice.

The first message is from Cassian- actually, it’s Az using Cassian’s phone to tell me Cas is almost finished. I reply with a quick thank you. The other is from Nesta. I regret opening it.

_Halloween was nearly two weeks ago. When were you going to tell me about Cassian? During Christmas dinner?_

I roll my eyes. _I haven’t spent Christmas with our parents in years. Had zero intention of doing so this year. And no. I wasn’t planning on telling you anything for this very reason. _

I set my phone down and wash half of the dishes before I go to flip the chicken on the skillet. I return to the sink and finish the dishes, then quickly clean my hands before setting the pita bread in the oven. I pour Val some food into his bowl and hear my phone go off again.

_He was my boyfriend, Feyre. Mom and dad have been bothering me about it ever since Elain posted that picture of the two of you with Iliana. _It was a cute picture from their date night last week; he and I were on the sofa with Iliana between us. We had fallen asleep while she read from her Percy Jackson book to us and Elain had come to pick her up and found us just like that.

_Was. Years ago. Get over it. _

_How long has this been going on? _

I sigh. _That’s honestly none of your business. I’m happy and so is he. That’s all that should matter to you. Tell mom and dad they can call me if it bothers them that much. _

_They don’t have your number. _

_Give it to them then. _I hear the door unlock. _I have dinner on the stove. Love you, Nes. Stop letting them get to you. Elain and I did- and we’re happier for it. _

I am tempted to say more but, until Cassian knows- I refuse to tell anyone else. She’d probably find a way to spoil it, anyway.

“Honey, I’m home!” Cas shouts from the door- as he has done every night he comes home from work. I laugh at his attempt to sound like Ricky Ricardo.

“I’m in the kitchen!” I shout back. I hear the closet door opening and close, hear him kick off his boots.

“Did you order out?” he asks, his voice sounds much closer now.

“Nope.”

I look at him from where I stand by the stove. He’s standing in the entry way.

“What’s this?”

I shrug. “Dinner. For my incredibly handsome and hardworking boyfriend.”

His stupid grin gives me butterflies.

“You cooked dinner?”

“I meant what I said.”

He comes to stand behind me and kisses my cheek before putting one hand on my waist. He tries to grab a piece of chicken from the skillet but I slap his hand away.

“Go wash up. Where do you want to eat?”

“So bossy,” he murmurs and kisses my neck. “You know, I wouldn’t mind that later on-”

I sigh. “Cassian…”

He laughs. “Alright, alright. Let’s sit at the dinner table.”

He slaps my ass before he runs off to change. When he comes back, I’m carrying plates to the dining room. He helps me bring everything to the table and after getting drinks, we sit to eat.

“The first time we had shawarma, was after homecoming, remember?” he asks.

“I think I have that picture somewhere. Rhys and Elain won homecoming king and queen which was hilarious, considering who they were dating at the time.”

“You and Grayson?”

“I didn’t _date_ Rhys,” I say with a scowl.

Cassian laughs. “You were his rebound-”

I slap his arm. “Hey, better it was me than someone who’d break his heart. I don’t even remember her name, only that she had some college boyfriend driving her to school one morning and it pissed me off so much.”

“So much so that you kissed Rhys in the parking lot and lied about being his girlfriend for the rest of the year.”

“Best pretend boyfriend I ever had,” I say wistfully. Cassian rolls his eyes but I can see him trying not to smirk. “But listen, I wanted to tell you something.”

“Hm?”

“So… Briar called me at like… nine this morning. I have an interview at the school tomorrow.”

His eyes light up.

“Really?”

“Yeah… She says she doesn’t doubt I’ll get it.”

Cassian leans over in his seat and gives me a quick kiss.

“That’s amazing, bunny! We have to celebrate or something.”

I laugh as he sits back in his chair.

“We are,” I say and wave at the table. “I haven’t told anyone else. And I won’t, not until after the interview.”

He puts his hand over mine.

“God, I love you so much,” he says. “I’m so happy for you.”

“I love you, too, Cas. I can’t believe this is happening.”

He brings my hand to his lips and presses a kiss to my knuckles.

“What time is the interview?”

“Eight-thirty.”

“I’ll drive you,” he says. “Then we can have celebratory breakfast together.”

“And if they ask me to stay for the day?”

“Then I guess I’ll come back for celebratory lunch.”

“I like the sound of that,” I say and he winks.

“And what about dessert?” he asks and I look at him up and down and grin.

“I think I have an idea of what I want.”

*

With a wave goodbye to Briar, I step out of the school. I take a deep breath and clutch the strap of my bag with both hands in an attempt to stop them from trembling. The security guard gives me a nod and I return it. I’m relieved to see Cassian standing by his truck. He’s on his phone and he’s wearing sunglasses. To my absolute delight, he has his hair down. For a moment, I can remember him as he was in high school; the stupidly popular football player with long hair and the tattoos on his back, who drove a motorcycle and smoked cigarettes in the parking lot. Who, along with Rhys and Az, always looked out for me and my sisters. For Mor.

“All we’re missing is a pack of cigarettes and I’m fourteen-year-old Feyre, trying to act like it was no big deal that Cassian Rodriguez is waiting for her in the parking lot,” I say when he notices me approach.

“Well, seventeen-year-old Cassian was all too happy to do it,” he says and immediately takes my hands and pulls me close. “Thank you for convincing that idiot to quit. I can’t believe I got away with so much shit.”

He kisses me and I playfully swat his arm.

“You’re a sweet talker,” I quip.

“So. How’d it go?” he asks and I sigh, shaking my hands. I don’t understand why I feel so nervous.

“I start on Monday,” I say softly. My stomach hurts. Cassian simply beams at me. He cups my face with his hands and kisses me.

“I fucking knew it!” He kisses me again. “God, I’m so happy for you, bunny!”

I laugh and hug him tight. After another kiss, Cassian walks me to the passenger’s side and opens the door. He lifts me up by the waist and sets me down. He doesn’t even bother hiding the grin on his face when his hands brush against my thighs as he steps away. I blush and wave him off. That was one story I wouldn’t tell Mor- ever. She’d never let me live it down.

“So what are the hours?” he asks as he gets into the driver’s seat. We talk about my salary and the schedule as he drives us to get breakfast.

“Is it weird that I’m kinda scared?” I ask quietly.

“No… You’ve been out of the game for a while.” _A while_. Leave it to Cassian to try to soften the edges. It had been years since I’d worked as a teacher. Tamlin had provided for everything until he left and if it weren’t for Cassian, I would have lost everything.

“At least now I’ll have health insurance,” I mutter and instinctively brush my fingers over my inner left arm. I barely feel it with my jacket on until I press on it. Cassian grimaces. “I can finally replace this stupid thing.”

“Stop it,” he whines. I laugh.

“Such a baby,” I say playfully. “If not for this we’d be pushing a stroller around.”

“Fair enough. Stop playing with it though, bunny. That’s gross.”

I stick my tongue out at him and he grins.

We have breakfast together at the café Mor and I had gone just two weeks before. I wait until Cassian is busy stuffing his face with French toast to text the group chat. _Guess who’s the new art teacher at Aelin’s school? _I hit send and then open the chat between Aelin and I. _I GOT THE JOB. _

Our phones begin to go off as our family starts to reply. Cassian reaches over to hold my hand and I sigh, meeting his gaze.

“You’ll be amazing,” he says to me. “You _are_ amazing.”

“Thank you,” I say and feel myself blush.

I have a feeling I’m going to be blushing until the day I die because of him. And honestly, I’m completely fine with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't know what a pendejo is, it's like... calling someone an idiot. one of my fave cuss words in Spanish. ;) Also, I'm really excited for Feyre and Aelin as friends. can you imagine the hell Aelin would reign upon Tamlin once she hears about all he's done? and two artistically inclined bookworms- Rowan and Cas are going to lose them in Barnes & Noble and Michael's. *chef's kiss*


	3. Interlude- Rhysand's Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since it is our favorite High Lord's birthday and that is a holiday in itself, here's a cheesy little update in Rhysand's POV in this AU.

“You know, I was only kidding about wanting breakfast in bed,” I say as Lucien approaches the bed with a tray. He sets it over my lap and leans in to kiss me.

“Happy birthday,” he says to me and I smile.

“Thank you, Luce.”

“We have a busy day as it is. The last thing we need is you getting grumpy after we spend more than an hour at the DMV.”

I groan. “Don’t remind me.”

He chuckles.

“Well, eat up. The sooner we get that nonsense out of the way, the sooner we can do something fun.”

“More fun than how you woke me up?” I ask with a grin and he rolls his eyes.

“Rhys, you’re insufferable.”

“Hm… But you love it.”

“Maybe.” He sighs and sits down beside me. I offer him some of the food but he declines with a shake of his head. “I ate already. Enjoy it, love.”

After breakfast, Lucien joins me for a shower and we leave the house later than intended. The DMV is busy as always and I reply to all the well wishes and spend twenty minutes talking to my mother until my name is called.

“So,” I say as we finally leave the damned place, “Where to now?”

“You’ll see,” he replies with a smirk.

Lucien takes me shopping at the mall and we leave with new clothes and shoes.

“Are we going where I think we’re going?” I ask as I notice the street that we’re on.

“Do you want to go where you think we’re going?”

“Lucien, is that truly a question you have to ask?”

He laughs and turns the corner. Lucien usually leaves the bookstore for last on my birthday, but I don’t mind the change. It means I can be here longer.

“Would you mind if I grabbed a coffee, love?” Lucien asks as we walk into the store.

“Not at all. Besides, there’s a cup I had my eye on. I want to get one for Feyre and I to match.”

Lucien chuckles. “I expected nothing less.”

Once we’re properly caffeinated, I lead Lucien around the store. We spend the most time by the science fiction and fantasy, and after I grab four books, I decide to find myself a basket before we step into the young adult section. Then, like every year, Lucien and I pick one of the books and find a corner to read the first chapter together. It is something we have done since high school, at first to make sure we would like it but then because it gave us more time to be together.

“You’re staring,” Lucien says playfully and I smile.

“It cannot be helped. You’ve seen yourself in the mirror, you are divine.”

Lucien rolls his eyes but I notice the way he blushes. I reach over and brush my fingers over the scar on his face before I lean in and kiss his cheek.

“I love you,” I say softly and Lucien turns away from the book and smiles.

“I love you, too.”

*

“My love, I’ve made plans for dinner tonight. Feyre will meet us there,” Lucien says as we leave the craft store. I’m carrying bolts of fabric while Lucien has the bag with my new sketch book and pencils. He reaches into his pocket for the keys to the car and opens the trunk. It looks like we’ve gone Christmas shopping.

“Are you going to tell me where?”

“Of course not.”

“Formal? Casual? _Nude_?” I wriggle my eyebrows and he rolls his eyes.

“I was thinking of wearing that midnight blue button up shirt you like so much,” he says as he makes room in the trunk for the rest of the bags.

“With the grey pants?”

“I refuse to wear grey pants around Feyre. Or you, for that matter. You’re both utterly perverted.”

“She’ll be too busy staring at Cassian’s… ass.”

“You’re sick.”

“I’ll remember that later,” I quip and lay the bolts down flat in the trunk before I close it.

At the house, Lucien brings the books to his office upstairs where our bookshelves are. Across the hall, I bring the fabric and sketchbooks to the craft room. There is an unfinished bodice on the dress form that will eventually be a gown for Mor.

“You should wear this and roll up the sleeves,” Lucien says and I turn to find him holding up the long-sleeved black button up shirt we’d just purchased this morning. “Maybe with some chinos or something.”

“Plan on staring at my ass all night?”

“Perhaps,” Lucien responds with a grin.

“What incredible incentive,” I say and walk over to him. I take the shirt from his hands and give him a kiss.

*

“We’ve never been here before,” I note as Lucien parks the car.

“Precisely.”

“Feeling adventurous, are we?”

“Rhysand, every day is an adventure with you.”

“Do I push you out of your comfort zone?” I tease and he flicks my nose before we both get out of the car.

“You’ve kept me out of my comfort since the day I met you.”

I laugh and reach for his hand. The smile on his face betrays his attempt at sounding serious. I tease him the entire way into the restaurant but when he gives his name, the host guides us in the complete opposite direction of the tables.

“Plan on checking off something from our list?” I whisper in his ear and Lucien laughs but doesn’t answer my question. I almost take it seriously until we come to a stop before a set of double doors and the host turns to face us.

“Happy birthday,” he says and gives me a smile before opening the door.

“Surprise!”

“Holy shit,” I say and hope no one noticed how startled I am. Everyone is here- even my parents. Even Lucien’s parents and-

“Elyse?”

My sister pries herself from Morrigan’s hold to run over to me.

“Happy birthday, Rhysie,” she says with a laugh and throws her arms around my neck.

“How are you here?”

“You know I couldn’t miss the big three-o. Plus, I’m on break.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

I hug her tight and she laughs.

“Then it wouldn’t be a surprise. Duh.”

Elyse fixes her blue-eyed gaze on Lucien.

“Hello, foxy boy.”

My sister steals my boyfriend away as the others come to say hello. Amren and Varian usher me over to the table where Elain stands- There is lembas bread in a wicker basket and an array of fruits and fingers food that look eerily similar to the food in the movies. The cake looks like Bag End. It’s Bilbo’s house at the top of three layers of cake made to look like Hobbiton.

“The only thing I forgot was the ring but-” I hug Elain tight.

“I can’t believe you!”

“Thank Feyre, too,” she says when we pull away. “She drew it all up for me.”

I look around and find her with Lucien, the two are holding hands. Elyse is on Cassian’s back, ordering him to bring her to the dessert table.

“Babe!” I shout and Lucien and Feyre both look my way. “Look at this!”

I wave him over and Lucien brings Feyre with him.

“Get over here,” I say to Feyre and pull her in for a hug. “This is amazing.”

“Well, your boyfriend was very specific in what he wanted for you,” she says to me. I look at him and he seems flustered by the attention.

“Can I eat this?” I ask Elain as I show Lucien the lembas.

“I would hope you do,” Elain replies. “Just don’t eat the leaves.”

Lucien takes me to get a drink while I eat the lembas bread, not giving a shit that Mor and my mother are taking pictures. I offer some to Lucien who takes a bite just as we’re blinded by flash. Amren surprises me with a bottle of my favorite wine which I happily share with Lucien until he is whisked away by his mother.

Iliana waltzes over and I take her up in my arms as Kallias and Viviane catch up with Amren, Varian and Tarquin.

“Happy birthday, tio. I have a present for you.”

“Do you?”

“Mhm. But mommy said I can’t give it to you until after we have cake.”

“Shall we cut the cake now then?”

Iliana laughs at me.

“No. Wela said we have to eat dinner first.”

“But it’s _my_ birthday.”

“Tell that to your mother then, tio. I don’t make the rules.”

I excuse myself from my friends and set my niece down. I muss up her hair before I go pester my mother. Once she sees me, she pulls me in for a hug before kissing both sides of my face.

“Mi vida,” she says and pinches my cheek. “You’re making me old.”

“Cassian made you old. I’ve never done anything wrong in my entire life.”

She snorts. “Paquetero.”

“So, Adela, what’s this about me not being allowed to have cake?”

“My name is mami to you. And don’t be ridiculous, estoy segura that you and Lucien haven’t eaten anything since breakfast. Mira que flaco esta. I can’t with the two of you.”

My father laughs and throws an arm around her shoulder.

“Adela, let them be.”

She tsks and pokes his side.

“Don’t start, Vinny.”

“_Anyway_,” I say and kiss my mother on the forehead, “I’m happy you’re here, mami. And you too, papi.”

I leave my mother smiling and my father teasing her for it.

I sit at a table with Lucien and Az as we eat our dinner and watch Cassian stumble over his words as he tells our parents that Feyre _is_ his girlfriend and that he had no idea Mor was going to put them on blast before he said anything to them. I know my parents are just fucking with him, but it’s worth it. Our parents adore Feyre, and she’s a blushing mess at Cassian’s side while she comes to his rescue, singing praises of him for all he’s done and how happy he’s made her.

“Do you ever wonder about it?” Lucien asks me quietly and I look at him with a raised brow.

“Wonder about what?”

Lucien gives a nod towards Feyre.

“I used to,” I reply. I had loved Feyre enough to picture that future. But we were young and I was stupid and never took the risk. “But once I was with you… I could never look back. There is no future without you in it, Lucian.”

Lucien gives me a smile when I look at him again.

“Why do you ask?”

He shrugs. “No reason.”

I make to speak but Iliana skips over to our table and Az completely lights up. His smile is contagious.

“Daddy, will you dance with me?”

“Of course, princess.”

“Two songs, please. Then I’m going to play barbies with Titi Elyse.”

“As you wish,” Azriel says to her and she squeals with delight. She has made Lucien and I watch Princess Bride so many times, I can quote the damn movie on command.

“Want to dance?” Lucien asks me and I look back at him with surprise.

“With you? Always.”

*

“I really don’t want to cut this,” I sigh, and everyone laughs. They have sung me happy birthday twice; once in English, once in Spanish.

“It’s okay, I’ve taken plenty pictures of it,” Mor says with a wink.

“Oh, before I forget!” Elain blushes at the sudden attention on her. “There’s a ring in there. So… Be careful.”

“Why didn’t you say that! I would’ve torn into this thing sooner!” I take the knife from Elain and she laughs.

“You’re an idiot, Rhys.”

I cut the first piece and happily pull the chocolate and wafer door off the cake and bite into it. Both my mother and Aurelie tell Elain to go sit and they help one another cut the cake. I am disappointed there is no ring in my cake and Lucien laughs at me.

“You’re pouting,” he teases.

“I am not.”

“I’m certain you’ll enjoy your gifts more than a toy ring.”

“But it’s the One ring…”

Lucien leans over and kisses me. “Well, if it is any consolation, I did not find it either.”

He holds out his plate to me.

“You didn’t eat the little windows.”

“I saved them for you.”

“Lucien, Lucien… What are you up to?”

“Whatever do you mean?” he asks and kisses me again.

“I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.”

Lucien flashes me a mischievous grin. We hear someone shriek and before we can panic, we realize it’s just Feyre pulling the ring from her mouth and waving it at Cassian.

I am not surprised when my mother has Cassian and Azriel to drag me to the table covered in gifts. True to form, she and Elyse come and put a crown on my head and help into a ridiculous birthday sash. I open present after present, from video games to clothes to graphic novels. There is a nice pile of books going beside me and I realize I may need another shelf.

Iliana happily makes her way towards me and hands me a small box tied with silver ribbon.

“This is your surprise,” she says.

“Thank you, Lia.”

I untie the ribbon and set it on the table. I raise a brow when I see the little black box inside and Iliana is failing at containing her laughter. I take the black box out and open it but it’s empty, though there’s clearly a space to hold a ring-

When I look up, I see Lucien standing there with an almost unreadable expression on his face. Everyone is standing around us, and our mothers are already in tears. I take off the crown and pull off the sash and set them down as Lucien takes a few steps towards me. He takes my hands and kisses them both before he looks at me again.

And without a word, Lucien gets down on one knee. He reaches into the pocket of his shirt and holds out a gold ring inlaid with black tourmaline. It’s perfect.

“Rhys… Will you marry me?”

I somehow remember how to breathe. How to speak.

“Yes,” I reply and pull him up to stand. I kiss him, ignoring everyone else in the room. Lucien is blushing when we stop to breathe. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Lucien.”

He breathes out and smiles. Lucien slides the ring onto my finger and this time, he kisses me. Everyone around us is cheering and clapping, I’m pretty sure that it’s Cassian whose whistling. But when I look at Lucien, all of it fades away.

“I love you, Lucien,” I say, my voice nearly a whisper.

“I love you, too Rhys,” he says and kisses me once more. “Happy birthday.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I literally copied and pasted this from tumblr because translating is tiringgggg:
> 
> I finally found names I felt okay about for Rhysand’s parents. And Elyse is the name I gave her in WTAS but I decided to have her not be dead/completely absent from this fic. If we’re going to be cheesy, we’re going to go all out.   
There are a few phrases in Spanish that I used here.   
Mi vida- means ‘my life’ and is a term of endearment   
Wela- grandmother is abuela in Spanish and that ‘bue’ part is where we get wela from, another way of saying grandma   
Paquetero- in Spanish, the word paquete means package but also means bullshit/a lie so his mother is calling him a liar here lol   
Mami and Papi is literally mom and dad  
Estoy segura means I am certain   
Mira que flaco esta is what you hear every Latina mom say during holidays. LOOK HOW SKINNY HE’S GOTTEN. which is always an exaggeration, they just can’t not tell you to eat. idk why.   
If anyone forgot/is reading this before all the others- Rhys is a tattoo artist in this AU and also sews and all that like in canon. I am horrible because I still haven’t decided Lucien’s profession.


	4. Part 4

“I love that vermillion, Cora. Good choice,” I say as Cora dips her brush into the paint again. She beams at me and I pat her shoulder before continuing on. I have the kindergarteners and first graders painting to their hearts’ content. ‘What do you think of when I say the word autumn?’ Some children are painting leaves, others foxes and just a mess of color, and I love it.

Ten minutes before class is over, I show them how to clean up their brushes. How to store them. We have a few hiccups, but it’s nothing I can’t fix. I have second and third grade working on watercolor galaxies and reflections in a body of water. 

Fourth grade is my last class before lunch. Aelin’s goddaughter, Evangeline, had volunteered to help me with our lesson in shadows and light. She sits on a chair in the front of the class while another student shuts the lights off. I turn on all four studio lights and Evangeline tries not to laugh at the sudden focus on her.

“Ms. Archeron?”

I look over to see Heather raising her hand.

“Hm?”

“Who was that guy who carried the lights in for you?”

I smirk. Cassian had driven me to work this morning to help me bring them in. He had kept them for me in the attic at home all this time-

“A friend,” I say and make my way to the front of the classroom.

“Your _special_ friend?” 

“Yes,” I say, and get a bunch of little laughs and snickering. “In fact, he’s an artist as well. And what I’m showing you today is something he has to do every day. But in order to shade and highlight, we have to understand our source of light and how that light reflects back onto our subject.”

*

Aelin and I sit in the teachers’ lounge at lunch time. She’s grading papers while I heat up our lunch; Cassian made me so much food I decided to split it between the both of us.

“How are you holding up?” she asks as I set a plate down before her.

“It’s going pretty well. I think I’m going to keep it simple. We only have two days of school this week and it seems pointless to throw something new at them just to have to do it again after break.”

“Smart.” She pushes her papers aside and pulls the plate closer to herself. “Does Cassian always make you lunch?”

I laugh. “No. Sometimes we go somewhere to eat.”

“I wish Ro worked a little closer. I mean, I wanted to be closer to home- there’s a school by our house but it wasn’t a good fit.”

“He works with Elide’s husband, right?”

Aelin rolls her eyes. “Lorcan. And all his other ridiculous friends. If you were single, I’d totally hook you up with one of them. I swear they all look like they’ve walked out of a runway or something.”

“I feel the same way about Rhys and Azriel.”

“You all seem really close… How did you meet?”

“We grew up together… Mor and I became friends in like… third grade. Rhysand’s parents adopted Cas and Azriel and pretty much raised Mor, too. So we’ve kinda always been together. I started dragging Lucien along with me to get him out of the house and the rest is history.”

Aelin laughs. “That’s… That’s cute.”

“What about you and Rowan?”

She sighs. “I hated his guts when I met him. He’s my cousin Aedion’s best friend so he was always at my house on weekends and afterschool when they had football practice. He irritated my soul.”

“When did it change?”

“Oh, it never changed. He gets on my nerves but I love it. I love him- we’ve been through a lot of shit together.”

Aelin’s eyes widen and she reaches into her back pocket for her phone.

“Speak of the devil,” she murmurs and answers it. “Hiiiiii handsome. Come say hi to Feyre.”

Aelin moves to fit me in the screen with her despite his protests. Rowan doesn’t even have a shirt on.

“Hey, Feyre! Forgive her- I’m at the gym, so…”

“Understood,” I say with a laugh.

“Cassian made us lunch,” Aelin says to him and before she moves the phone away, I can see the frown on his face. “It’s amazing.”

She looks my way and winks.

*

Sixth grade is packing up for the day. I gave them free reign to choose what they worked on today and only interceded when asked. I had some working on pencil sketches, others on acrylic paintings. One girl brought copic markers to class and was working on a little comic strip that I immediately fell in love with. Pastels, oils and watercolors- I gave permission to a group in the back that wanted to spray paint this random piece of plywood that had been sitting in the closet. No one knew why or how it got there.

The door opens and I look up at the clock before I look at who walked in. Cassian grins and gives the class a quick hello. I get up from my chair and blush when the kids start teasing as fourth grade had.

“Class, this is Cassian. Cas, these are my sixth graders.”

“Is that a tattoo?” someone asks. When I look, Alice was holding up her hand.

“Uh, yeah. I’m a tattoo artist,” Cas answers rather bashfully. And the class collectively loses their shit. I cover my mouth, and try not to laugh as question after question gets thrown at him.

“Alright, alright, guys,” I say at last. “We’ve got like… two minutes before the bell rings. If you want, I can ask the principal to have him-”

I get interrupted by multiple voices already agreeing to have Cassian come to class. I laugh it off and wrap my arms around his. I lead him to my desk and have him sit in my chair before I go to lean on the desk.

“I’m really proud of the work you did today,” I say. “If you haven’t already done so, I need the entry slips for the winter art show. If you want to but haven’t come up with an idea, I have no issue helping you figure that out.”

After a chorus of thank yous, the bell rings. I wait until the last kid walks out to push myself off the desk and tie up my hair.

“I have to put away some stuff, then we can go,” I say and Cassian gets to his feet.

“Tell me what to do,” he says to me and rolls up his sleeves.

*

I lock the classroom and look at Cassian who is holding my bag.

“All done,” I say and reach out for the bag. He raises a brow.

“I’ve got it, bunny.”

“Well, if you insist.” I bat my lashes at him and he laughs as he reaches out for my hand.

“I do,” he says and we walk towards the front office.

“Are you up for going with me to the store?” he asks. “I need to start the pernil for Thursday.”

“Of course! I’m making apple pie, remember?”

Cassian flashes me a grin. “You’ll make one just for us, right?”

His voice is conspiratorial and I want nothing more than to push him against the lockers and kiss him.

“What kind of question is that, Cassian?”

“Just making sure,” he says innocently. I open the door that leads into the main office.

“I love you,” I say and briskly turn the corner.

“I love you, too, bunny.”

Cassian nearly bumps into me when I stop suddenly. Tamlin… Tamlin is here.

“Bunny, what-”

I want to walk away but I can’t move. Briar notices me and she beams.

“Feyre!” she exclaims and walks around her desk. “I’m so glad I caught you.”

Cassian stands beside me and I don’t miss the way Tamlin blanches slightly.

“This is my boyfriend, Tamlin,” she says cheerfully and takes his hand. “Tam, this is Feyre, the new art teacher I was telling you about.”

He gives me a curt nod.

“That’s her boyfriend, Cassian. He’s just…” She sighs wistfully. “He helped her set up class this morning. He’s an artist, too!”

I feel Cassian take my hand and I find my ability to speak again.

“Well, thank you for that, Bri… But we have to go-”

“Oh, yeah! Friendsgiving, right? I was telling Tam about it but our parents are so… traditional.”

“Bronn invited us for dinner on Friday,” Tamlin says, his voice rough. Briar laughs and gently taps her temple.

“Silly me, I forgot! Well. I don’t want to keep you. We should hang out some time! Maybe a double date or something.”

“Yeah,” I say with a laugh and look up at Cas.

“There’s a movie in the park coming up,” Cassian says to Briar. “Rowan invited us, I don’t think he’d mind if you tagged along.”

Aelin would no doubt eat Tamlin alive, but I don’t say that. I merely smile.

“Think about it,” Cassian continues, his nonchalance is enviable. “Well, it was nice meeting you, but bunny and I really gotta go. Our dog gets antsy after a while.”

Briar waves at us enthusiastically while Tamlin just remains frozen in place. I hear Briar excitedly gushing over Cassian’s pet name for me and I swear I hear Tamlin groan. Cassian hauls my bag over his shoulder as I open the front door, but Cassian doesn’t let me go, even after he puts the bag in the back seat. He opens my door but instead of lifting me up into my seat, he pulls me in for a hug.

“Want me to take you home?” he asks me softly.

“No… No, I want to go with you.” I pull back enough to look up at him. “I need it.”

“Alright.”

“And… we’ll talk about it later?”

Cassian nods and kisses me.

*

I have my laptop open on the kitchen counter playing Christmas music. Cassian has his hair tied up and is wearing grey sweatpants and a white shirt- no doubt on purpose. God, he looks fucking good. Valo is pretty bummed that Cassian won’t let him near the pernil for Thursday so he’s moping at my feet.

“Has it been like an hour?” I ask Cas as I look over the apples sitting in the bowl.

“No,” Cas replies with a chuckle. “I thought you put a timer on.”

I shrug. “I forgot.”

Cassian looks back at me and just smiles and shakes his head. He goes back to seasoning the pernil and I slide off the barstool.

“Need help?” I ask and he shakes his head.

“You being here is enough.”

I have no witty come back. Nothing funny to say. Last November, I was a wreck. I had only gone to our annual Friendsgiving dinner because Cassian and Mor practically dragged me out of bed…

I blink- Cassian kissed me.

“Get out of your head,” he says softly.

I lean back against the counter, mindful of all the bottles and glass containers of seasonings he has around him.

“I don’t know how I would have reacted if you hadn’t been there,” I say quietly. “But at least I know why he’s stopped calling me.”

“He was still calling you?”

I give him a nod.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Well, the last time he did, Nesta showed up at the apartment and then you came over and stayed the night. It didn’t really matter by then.”

Cassian smirks.

“She’s too nice for him,” Cassian says. “I can’t even imagine how that happened.”

“I wonder if Aelin’s met him.”

“Aelin would never keep her dislike for someone to herself. Believe me.”

I roll my eyes, but he’s right.

“Can I ask you something, Cas?”

“Mhm.”

“Will it bother you… me working there and him knowing, I mean.”

Cas sighs. “I always worry that you’ll bump into him when I’m not around… I see your sister every now and then- it’s not completely avoidable. But this is your career. He can’t take that from you.”

He leans over and kisses me again.

“I’ll never let him hurt you again.”

“I know.”

Cassian’s phone goes off and he asks me to check it for him. I let out a laugh.

“Thank you,” I say as I turn the alarm labeled ‘REMOVE THE APPLES, BUNNY’ off and lock his phone.

*

I wake up to Cassian’s alarm. I reach over to find his side of the bed cold. With a groan I get up and crawl over to his side of the bed and shut the damn alarm off. I hear the back door open and close, Valo’s excited bark at whatever Cassian is saying to him.

After washing up and throwing on one of his shirts, I go find him. The second I open the door I can smell the food in the kitchen. It smells like heaven. When I walk into the kitchen, Cassian is by the stove. The pernil is in the oven and on the stove is what I assume to be breakfast.

“It’s so early Cas,” I say with a yawn.

“The pernil wasn’t going to cook itself, bunny.”

I make my way to him and hug him from behind. He puts his hand over mine.

“Go back to bed,” he says softly. “I know you’re off for the rest of the week.”

“Your phone doesn’t think so.”

Cassian chuckles. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I say with a sigh. “I get to be with you longer.”

School had ended early on Tuesday and we had yesterday off as well. I had spent the day cleaning the house and playing outside with Val.

“Now that you’re awake, I can get started on the coquito.”

“Hm… Now you’re talking.”

*

“Hey, bunny, everything is in the truck,” Cas says. I look through the mirror to see him peeking through the door.

“I’m done.” I look back in the mirror and give myself a quick once over. Cassian walks into the bathroom and I can’t help but blush by the way he’s looking at me.

“I really like that skirt,” he says as he comes to stand behind me.

“Yeah? I like your shirt.” My deep red mini skirt matches his button up shirt. I have an oversized long sleeved shirt tucked into it and black tights with heeled boots. I like his black pants too, but he already knows that.

“You look beautiful, bunny.”

“Thank you, handsome.”

I turn to face him and give him a kiss.

“Let’s get Val and get out of here,” he says, and kisses me again.

*

There are spots in my vision from all the pictures we have taken. Rhysand’s mom insists on a big family picture every holiday- this year is no exception. They have always treated me like family, and I was always amidst the pictures taken for any event and holiday but this year… This year Adela ushers me away from the camera on the tripod and has me stand with Cassian.

“Don’t be silly,” she says as she smooths my hair and pinches my cheek. “You’re in the Christmas card this year, too, hija.”

I do my best not to burst into tears as we wait for the picture to be taken. Adela asks us to take a few more “just in case”. Val sits happily at our feet while Az puts Iliana down to stand. After the fourth picture, Vincente calls for coquito. Helion and Aurelie arrive right on time for dinner, as do Amren, Varian and Andromache. We take another picture to include them as well.

Rhys carves the turkey stuffed with mofongo that he and Lucien made while Cassian handles the pernil. We say grace solely for Adela and Vinny’s sake. Iliana tells us all how she stopped her teacher’s lesson about Thanksgiving to tell her that the textbook was wrong and that the lesson was based on lies.

“She wasn’t very happy with me, but she said sorry and explained uh… what was that word?” Iliana looks at her father who looks ridiculously proud of his daughter.

“The white-washing of history,” Az offers and she beams at him.

“That! I didn’t get in trouble for _that_.”

“No, you were suspended for fighting with that Hybern girl,” Elain mutters.

“You did what now?” Cassian asks and Iliana crosses her arms.

“She called me stupid and said she didn’t care about what I was saying.” She looks so much like Elain right now it’s astounding. “Then she said something nasty about brown people like me so I gave her something to be mad about.”

That is a line straight out of Elain’s book.

“We had to meet with the girl’s parents.” Elain rolls her eyes. “It’s disgusting that people teach their kids to be so hateful.”

“I have never seen two full grown adults look so ashamed after you _spoke to them_,” Az says teasingly.

“The bitch tried blaming Lia for her daughter’s bullshit,” Elain snaps and Az just leans in to kiss her.

“I know, babe.” He chuckles and she rolls her eyes.

“Are you okay?” I ask Iliana. She finally loses that haughty look and sighs.

“I was sad for a little bit, Auntie Feyre…” Iliana musters up a smile. “I only got suspended on Tuesday. That cabrona is in trouble for more days and isn’t gonna get to go to the museum next week.”

“Iliana Gabrielle,” Elain says sternly. “_Language_.”

It doesn’t help that everyone laughs. Elain just sighs and starts to laugh, too.

After dinner, Vinny brings out the cuatro and the singing begins. Everyone takes part in decorating the tree while coquito is passed around. We made a virgin batch for Iliana and anyone driving home- in my case, me. Cassian has rolled up the sleeves to his shirt and unbuttoned his shirt enough to let his tattoos peek through.

“I am honestly surprised I got engaged before you,” Rhys says. I roll my eyes.

“We’ve been together barely a month.”

“That’s bullshit.” I glare at him and he laughs. “You two have been together since New Year’s. That’s almost a year.”

“And you and Luce have been together since your Freshman year of college.”

“Fair point.” He looks pensive. I put an arm around his waist and lean into him.

“I am so happy for you two.”

“I know.”

“No, really. I know we all cried and said our congratulations that night but… I am really happy for you. I love you both so much.”

Rhys hugs me and presses a kiss to my temple.

“I know, darling. And we love you… more than words could ever explain.”

*

“Feyre, hija,” Adela says to me. “Leave that for Rhysand. Come sit.”

With a blush I pass the knife to Rhys who wastes no time in cutting into the pie. I make my way to Cassian but Adela pats the empty space beside her.

“Ma…” Cassian sounds worried but Adela ignores him.

“I want to share something with you,” she says to me and Cassian’s eyes widen. Az laughs and throws an arm around Cassian’s shoulder.

“You’re a taken man now, manito. It’s a rite of passage.”

Cassian elbows him which only makes Azriel laugh even more. Adela sets the album on her lap and opens it up.

“Look at this jamoncito,” Adela says sweetly and looks up at Cassian who looks like he wants to die. “Baby pictures are rare… but they’re precious.”

Cassian hadn’t been adopted until he was in grade school, that much I knew. I noticed the way Adela’s eyes welled up with tears as she carefully brushed her fingers over his baby pictures. She lets out a sigh and turns the page. She laughs and taps a picture of Cassian as a two-year-old, sitting on a towel at the beach with snails in his hands.

“Mami, _please_,” Cassian pleads but she waves him off.

There are very few pictures of him as a toddler. But he was the cutest baby I’ve ever seen.

“You were so fat,” I say happily. My heart feels tight in my chest- I can picture our own child together and I bite my tongue. “I could eat you up.”

“This is the day he came home for good,” she says as she touches a picture of Cassian standing outside of their house between Adela and Vinny. He’s smiling and his hair is a mess of curls. I had never seen him with short hair before. Then there were pictures of birthdays and his first time on a bike. Pictures of him with Rhys and Az in their bathing suits by the pool, the three of them smiling. I’m in some of the pictures and one of them brings me pause. Cas and I are asleep on the sofa- I remember that day. My parents had been fighting nonstop and Nesta had gotten in the middle of it. Elain and I rode our bikes to their house but it had rained so much, I lost control of the bike and fell. Elain had helped me sit up before she left me to find them and Cassian had come for me with Rhys. Rhys rode my bike back to his house and Cassian had ridden his bike with me sitting on the seat. Adela had cleaned up my knees and wrists, put me in some of Rhys’ pajamas while she threw my clothes in the washer. Cassian and I had spent hours coloring and playing on the Nintendo until we all went to the living room to watch novelas with Adela.

I look up at Cassian and he’s visibly concerned. I offer him a smile as Adela turns the page. I remember the middle school pictures- Cassian after his first football game. Homecoming. Cassian and Mor dancing at a Christmas party. There’s even one of Cassian diving into the water during a family vacation. Though Cassian smiles in most of the pictures, I remember how much he struggled with depression, with a self-hatred that had turned into recklessness that only worsened as he got older. There is a picture of us on his motorcycle- neither of us are wearing helmets and I’m waving at Adela. I remember that day- he’d taken me to my first house party and I’d gotten shit faced for the first time in my life. I cringe.

Cassian sighs with relief as we reach the end of the album. He gets up from the sofa and walks towards us and snatches the album from her hands. Adela takes advantage of that to hug me tight.

“I keep telling Vinny how lucky we are that our boys are happy,” she says and kisses my cheek.

“I’m lucky, too,” I find myself saying. “I didn’t have a family until I met you. I owe Mor everything.”

Mor is in tears but I know that it’s mostly all the rum she’s had tonight. I get up to hug her as she begins to weep much to Andromache and Rhysand’s amusement. Cassian pulls me away once Mor is calling for another song and Az is handed the cuatro to play. He leads me to the kitchen and surprises me with a hug.

“Are you alright, bunny?” he asks. He pulls away to cup my face, his eyes searching mine.

“Yeah, I’m great… Why?”

“You looked… spooked.”

“Oh… No. It’s just… You’ve always been there for me and I don’t know. It was a nice reminder of how lucky I am.” I put my hands on his chest. “And seeing you as a baby-”

He sighs. “I can’t believe her.”

“She did this to Rhys _and_ Az, and you laughed at them. But that’s not the point.”

“No?” He brings his hands to my waist. I shake my head.

“Seeing you as a baby… It’s easier to picture what our baby is going to look like- I mean, if we have one.” I don’t know why I’m blushing, we’ve talked about this before.

Cassian smirks.

“And, I don’t know,” I say with a sigh. “You went through so much… But you worked your ass off to work through it. I’m so proud of you, Cas.”

Cassian looks at me in surprise and before my heart can sink at the sight of tears in his eyes, Cassian wraps his arms around me.

“Cas?” My voice is a whisper.

“I love you, bunny,” he whispers back. “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven’t read any of the Elriel holiday shit before, lemme recap on some of the stuff mentioned here.   
Pernil is pork shoulder made for every holiday and major event. I don’t eat it but it is really good. Coquito is a coconut and rum based drink made during the winter holidays. Some people consider it our egg nog which is weird because its not made with eggs (although some people use it and that’s fine- to each their own). Mofongo is fried plantain and garlic and chicharrones(Pork cracklings) made in a ball. It is AMAZING. and inside turkey rather than stuffing- too good.   
Their dad Vinny’s full name is Vincente which is the Spanish form of Vincent. lol   
The word hija means daughter. The word cabrona is the feminine form of goat and is an insult lmao something like bitch, asshole, jerk, etc. Cabron is the male form.  
The cuatro is like a guitar but small like a violin, traditionally had only four strings but I believe it goes up to six or eight. Idk my dad makes them and they are just the best. Aguinaldos (our holiday songs) are not the same without it- assume that’s what they’re singing. Azriel calls Cas ‘manito’ which is the shortened form of the word hermano\hermanito which means brother/little brother. I always forget who is the oldest of the 3 but regardless, you can call someone older than you manito or manita because its just another term of endearment. Jamoncito means little ham and I don’t know a single baby that has not been called that. Mami is mom/mommy in this case. Sometimes it’s used affectionately like my grandma will call me mamita or I’ve even called my daughter that. Some people call their wives/girlfriends mami but we’re not going there lmao Novelas are soap operas and god forbid you change the channel- even if your tia or abuela is not in the room. they’ll know.   
Anyway, there is that. lol I hope y'all had a great holiday. to my surprise, mine was really great. and my grandma’s food was to die for honestly. I also had my goddaughter to myself for 3 days so I was in baby heaven. Thanksgiving marks the beginning of our Christmas and it doesn’t end until the middle of January. ;)


	5. Chapter 5

“I’m so glad you could come with me,” Aelin says and loops her arm around mine. “Elide didn’t believe me when I said the lines wouldn’t be so bad.”

“Mor told me the same thing.”

“And where is she?”

“Hung over. She’ll be doing all her shopping from the comfort of her bed.”

“So smart… But I have no patience for online shipping.”

We put the bags in the trunk of her car.

“You still haven’t gotten anything for Cassian,” she says as we get in the car.

“You haven’t gotten anything for Rowan.”

“Touché, Archeron.”

I roll my eyes and laugh.

“What did you get him last year?”

I hate that I blush but Aelin is busy backing out to notice.

“I wasn’t working last Christmas… But I painted a few pieces for everyone. What did you get Rowan?”

“Two things- One present to open in front of family, and another for when we were alone.”

When I look at her, she’s grinning and wriggling her eye brows.

“Christmas is also when Cas and I started getting… closer. We didn’t actually do anything until New Year’s but that’s beside the point.”

“What do you give a man who has everything?” she muses.

“I-”

My phone vibrates and I pull it out of my pocket. _Adela Rodriguez tagged you and Cassian Rodriguez in a post._

“What is it?”

“Cassian’s mom… she posted something on Facebook- and tagged me in it.”

“Well, what is it?”

I tap the notification and watch the screen change from my home screen to a picture of Cassian and I with her. Cassian is standing behind us, trapping us in a bear hug. Adela and I are laughing.

“It’s us… She wrote me something… Mi yerna querida, gracias por amar a mi hijo como el se merece.”

“And she speaks Spanish, too,” Aelin deadpans before giving me a smile.

I laugh. “Says the musician… But yes. I practically lived in their house, so I learned…”

“What does that mean, though?”

“My beloved daughter in law, thank you for loving my son the way he deserves.”

“Oh, my god. That’s so sweet! How _did_ dinner go with them?”

“It was amazing. I can’t wait to get the Christmas card in the mail. I’m in it this year.”

“That’s adorable.”

“What about you?”

“It was really nice… Aedion and Lys came over with Evangeline. Manon and Dorian stopped by with Elide and Lorcan. Fenris and Connall always spend the holidays with us, they brought the dessert this year.

“Rowan’s parents passed away when he was really young, as did my mine… Rowan isn’t close to his family- Only his cousin Endymion. My uncle Gavriel and cousin Aedion are the only family I have left, well by blood. There are uncles and all that, but they weren’t in my life until I was already an adult.”

Aelin spoke so frankly…

“I’m sorry, Aelin.”

“I- Thank you, Feyre… Holidays aren’t the easiest but in the end, we choose our family and I’m really lucky to have been able to find them.”

“In that I completely understand.”

Aelin pulls into the parking lot of the pet store.

“Where are your parents?” she asks me and I shove my hands in my pockets, the action making me think of Rhys. Of countless times I snuck out of my house to knock on their door.

“Suburbs… But I don’t speak to them. Neither does Elain- Our older sister, Nesta, she still talks to our mother.”

“I haven’t met Nesta yet.”

I sigh. “You probably won’t.”

Aelin raises a brow as we step into the store.

“Nesta and Cassian dated when he started college. She treated him like shit and she has the nerve to be upset that I’m with him now.”

Aelin whistles.

“Well. My friend Yrene is married to my first boyfriend, Chaol. They’re having a baby. My best friend Dorian was my… something at one point and he’s with Manon, another friend of mine.”

“Cassian and Rhys aren’t brothers by blood… But I kind of dated Rhys, too.”

“You know… that doesn’t surprise me.”

“No?”

“You remind me of Dorian and I. Because of your history, your connection to one another is deeper than anyone else- and it’s obvious.”

“It was fake at first,” I say and Aelin gapes at me. I roll my eyes and walk right to the dog aisles. “His girlfriend dumped him for some college guy so I kissed him in the parking lot to piss her off and then… That was that.”

Aelin cackles and throws an arm around me.

“That is the best thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”

“And Lucien… Well, people used to think we three were a thing.”

“Were you?”

“No… Not _physically_ anyway.”

“Ah. Gotcha.”

I grab an elf’s hat and an antler head band.

“Let’s see what Cas thinks.”

“I like this, too,” Aelin adds, taking what looks like an ugly knitted sweater. It’s adorable.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and send Cassian a text. _Elf or Reindeer? Though there’s ugly sweaters I like._

_Dressing up for me, bunny?_

I roll my eyes. _No, dumb ass. Valo’s Christmas picture._

Cassian sends eye roll and thumbs down emojis before giving me a real answer.

_Reindeer… But ugly sweater. Get both? _

_Alright, my love. Thank you. See you soon._

*

Elain is standing outside of my house, leaning against her SUV.

“I was just about to call you,” she says as Aelin and I get out of her car.

“Cas is probably in the shower or something,” I say as I fish for the keys in my pocket.

“No. He left with Az.”

“What?”

“Did you forget what day it is?” Elain is smirking. She hugs Aelin and I before helping bring my bags inside. I don’t hear Val.

“Oh fuck,” I say, which makes Aelin laugh.

“What’s today?”

“Their fucking football game. I completely forgot!”

“And you have to be there,” Elain says. “It’s tradition.”

“Is this where all the boyfriends and girlfriends cheer their men on?” Aelin teases.

I look at Elain who’s smile goes wicked.

“_El_.”

“_Yes_, Feyre. Even Lucien is doing it, and he’s playing, too.”

“Okay, I want to know what ‘it’ is,” Aelin says and crosses her arms.

“Let’s hide these in my art room,” I mutter and they follow after me. “Elain, Lucien and Adela have matching jerseys with their respective partner’s name- which is fucking adorable. But then there’s the fucking face paint and the pom poms-”

“Oh, my fucking god. Rowan has a game today- _Please_ tell me Rowan is playing against Cassian.”

“He is, actually,” Elain says.

“I wear my high school cheer outfit every year,” Aelin happily adds. “Sometimes, I prefer it when Rowan’s team loses. The sex is amazing when he’s cranky.”

Elain laughs.

“Same with Az.”

“Wait, I don’t have one. A jersey, I mean.”

“That, baby sister, is where you are wrong.” Elain reaches into her enormous bag and hands me a folded jersey. “Had it made after you told me you were official.”

It’s black and white, with red letters. There are the numbers ‘07’ on the front and Cassian’s name on the back. It is so ridiculous and yet…

*

Aelin is waiting for Elain and I in the parking lot of the park. She has her hair in pig tails and she’s wearing a green and white cheer outfit with long sleeves. She even has pom poms.

“Elide is here already,” she says as she slips her phone into the pocket of her skirt and then she looks at me. “Damn, Feyre, I didn’t know you were hiding all that under those clothes.”

I sigh. I kept my hair down and tied the jersey at my waist, right where my long-sleeved white crop top stops. I paired them with waisted red leggings and the black, red and white sneakers I’ve had forever.

“Cassian isn’t going to be able to focus with all that ass.”

Elain snorts.

“And don’t act like I don’t see _you_, Elain,” Aelin says playfully. My sister blushes.

Aelin introduces me to her friends, all of them so beautiful I’m left dumbstruck. I introduce them to my sister as well as Adela and Elyse who immediately offered them sandwiches and coquito. There is music playing loudly and Iliana is dancing around her father who is absentmindedly spinning her around as he talks strategy with Lucien. Valo is rolling around in the ground with Aelin’s dog, Fleetfoot- a dog she and Dorian adopted together long before she and Rowan became a thing.

Amren is here as well, to my surprise but I see Varian chatting with Fenris and his twin brother, Connall- he made the boys’ team even. I see Cassian standing next to the tallest man I’d ever seen- brutally handsome with long black hair, tied up in a messy bun just like Cassian has his.

And then he sees me.

Aelin slaps my ass and winks before I walk over towards him. I hear her calling for Rowan in a sing song voice behind me.

“Hello, handsome,” I say as Cassian pulls me in for a kiss.

“I was going to ask you what you got me for Christmas,” he whispers into my ear as his hands wander down to grip my ass. “But it looks like Christmas came early.”

“Stop it!” I laugh and he kisses me again.

He seems to remember that his friend is standing there still. He isn’t smiling, but his eyes are alight with amusement.

“Bunny, this is Lorcan. He works with Rowan. Lor, this is my girlfriend, Feyre.”

I give him a wave.

“Hi.”

“So you’re the girl in the picture,” he says and I look at Cassian expectantly. He laughs and rubs the back of his neck.

“What picture?”

“It’s nothing,” he says and punches Lorcan’s arm. “Let me introduce you to the guys.”

Lorcan smirks but when I hear Elide call his name, he smiles. A real smile. Cassian takes my hand and guides me away.

“What was that all about?”

“He’s an ass.”

“Clearly. But really, what picture?”

Cassian sighs. “I’ll show you later.”

I raise a brow and Cassian kisses me.

“Please?”

“Alright, Rodriguez. I won’t forget.”

“I’m counting on it.”

Fenrys is one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever met in my life. Like Rhys, and Dorian. He is just as flirtatious as Aelin and Cassian are but his twin brother is way more reserved and I am not surprised to see Connall navigate towards Azriel. Aelin’s cousin could pass as her twin brother but he also reminds me of Cassian in a way.

“Evangeline is amazing. I love having her in class,” I say to Lysandra and Aedion who are looking at her fondly. Evangeline is blushing. “I can’t wait to see what you come up with for the art show.”

Rhys and Lucien finally show up, with Helion and Aurelie in tow.

“Sorry we’re late,” Rhys says.

“You went black Friday shopping, didn’t you?” Cas asks and Rhys just shrugs.

“He and Mor were gone all morning,” Lucien replies and Rhys looks at him as though he’s been betrayed. “Hungover my ass.”

“Well, I’m here now!”

Lucien rolls his eyes and ties up his hair.

“I will ask one of Rowan’s friends to switch with me so I can kick your ass,” Lucien snaps at Rhys.

“Do it then.”

“Hey, I know you two like to argue as foreplay but this is Feyre’s first game as Cassian’s girlfriend,” Azriel says in a rather saccharine tone. It’s almost condescending. “Let them have their moment.”

I can’t help but laugh as Rhys and Lucien practically pry me away from Cassian to apologize and hug and kiss me profusely. I can hear Adela scolding Azriel but the tone in her voice is jovial.

Vinny calls for them to separate into teams. Lucien does in fact switch places with Fenrys, who is all too happy to be on ‘the team that Feyre is cheering for’.

I take my seat beside my sister and Adela as everyone takes their place on the muddy field. Vinny is acting as goal keeper. I had always cheered the boys on, though Elain and Adela are always the most vocal. Nothing has changed in the way Cassian smiles when our eyes meet, or the way I jump to my feet to cheer him on as he makes a goal. I just can’t believe I’d never noticed it before. I have been to nearly every one of Cassian’s footballs games, even when he was dating Nesta. I’ve seen him lose some, seen him win but it never gets old.

Aelin is betting Elide that Cassian is going to hand Lorcan his ass while Manon shouts at Rowan’s team- she should have been a coach. They don’t get into a fight, but it is obvious they are not used to actually having to worry about the opposing team. It’s amusing, but I know that _someone_ is going to be bruised and aching later.

When the game is over, I am not surprised that Cassian’s team won but I am caught off guard as Cassian makes his way to me and lifts me off my feet. He kisses me, ignoring Elyse’s sounds of disgust. When we stop to breathe, I smooth his hair away from his face.

“Your football games would have been so much more fun if this was how they ended,” I say teasingly. Cassian laughs. “That was a good game, Cas.”

“I am beat,” he says as he sets me down.

“You guys were showing off.”

“Of course,” he says as he throws an arm around my shoulder. “I have to impress my girlfriend.”

I poke his side. “You don’t have to impress me. Win or lose, I am always proud of you.”

Cas looks at me and smiles.

“Hey, Cas!” Lorcan shouts as Elide hands him a small ice pack. “Rematch next weekend?”

“You’re on Salvaterre!”

Elide and I share the same look of exasperation.

*

“So, bunny, I made a stop or two before Az and I went to the park.”

“Did you?”

I follow him into the garage. He turns the light on and there are several bags and a large box…

“You got a Christmas tree?”

I walk right over to it and turn it to see the picture. It’s pre-lit, which is smart and has little red berries in it.

“If you don’t like the ornaments, I’ll go change them for something else.”

I give him a look before I look through the bags.

“Red and gold is perfect, Cas.”

“You sure?”

I nod. “Can we put it up tonight?”

He smiles. “I was hoping to.”

“Perfect.”

“I want to shower first though…”

I wave him off. “I’ll go preheat the oven for cookies and put a movie on.”

*

I pull a pair of stockings out of a bag and laugh.

“Cas, you didn’t!” They are red knit stockings with our monograms on them in white, there is even one for Val. “I love them so much.”

“Where should we hang them up?”

I look around the living room and my eyes fall on the little accent table he has against the wall where he’s setting up the tree. He keeps the remotes and controllers to his game consoles in there among other things. He has a few picture frames on it but nothing more.

“If you’re not opposed to putting holes in the wall… Maybe we can put a little shelf up there? I can put lights and our Yule log up there and then hang the stockings from it.”

Cassian looks at where I point to and gives a nod.

“Yeah… I think that would be nice. Let me get the tree up and then I’ll go see what I have in the garage.”

Once the tree is up and plugged in, Cassian disappears into the garage. I start putting up the ornaments- red and gold traditional ornaments, glittery birds and butterflies, snowflakes and icicles. I hear hammering and then the loud clang of the hammer falling before the drill goes off. Val and I look towards the garage curiously.

Cassian comes back with a shelf and the drill, as well as the leveler ruler.

“Tell me where,” he says and I set the box of ornaments down to mark the right spot on the wall. Val barks as Cassian drills the nails into the wall but stops when Cas looks back at him. Once the shelf is up, I hand Cassian the Yule log to set in the middle, then the candles decorated with holly and pine before he carefully arranges the white Christmas lights around them. He hides the switch behind one of the candles.

Cassian is grinning after I finish putting up the stockings and I find myself blushing.

“What?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know… It’s nice. Getting to do this with you.”

I slide my arm around his waist.

“It is, isn’t it?” I lean into him. “I’ve never done this with anyone.”

“Neither have I.” He presses a kiss to the top of my hair. “Outside of family, anyway.”

I laugh. “How did you even manage to find a shelf so quickly?”

“Oh… Well, it had been meant for the guest room but I never got around to it so it had been sitting in the garage since I got the house.”

“I’m glad I was able to give it purpose.”

“Yeah… you do have a tendency of doing that.”

I poke his side. “Stop it.”

“Seriously… Anyway, let’s go finish the tree. Rudolph is starting soon and I want to be laying down by then.”

“We have that movie on DVD, Cassian.”

“But you know it isn’t the same.”

I sigh and roll my eyes. But I know he’s right.

*

I come back from the kitchen with a plate of cookies and a mug full of milk. Cassian is sitting on the sofa with his sketchbook on his lap while he flips through the channels.

“Here,” I say and hand him the plate before I pull down the little arm rest of the sofa to set the mug in a cupholder. It’s a perfect excuse to take his sketchbook and sit on his lap. I reach for the blanket and drape it over our legs as he slides an arm around me, holding me against him.

“So, I had free time at work the other day and was just… drawing bullshit. Warming up. Az wants to add to his sleeve but he hasn’t decided how. Anyway, I was sketching some shit out and I got this idea.”

Cassian sets the remote aside and opens his sketchbook. I’m mesmerized by all that I see as he flips through it and then he stops.

“It wasn’t supposed to be you, but when I started drawing her face… I couldn’t help it.”

“This is beautiful, Cassian.”

She’s a faerie of some kind, with wings like a bat rather than butterflies and a crown of moons on her head. Her dress isn’t complete, but I can tell it will be a gown of some sort.

“Lorcan saw it when he and Rowan stopped by to go over our plans for today.”

“I hope you finish it.”

“Yeah?” He kisses my cheek.

“I’ll let you tattoo it on me somewhere.”

“Bunny, don’t tease me like that. You know Rhys has been trying to be the one to give you your first tattoo.”

“He can give me my second one.”

“You serious?”

“I mean… why not? I would wait until Christmas break though-”

Cassian kisses me.

“I’ll make you something better than this. I promise,” he kisses me again. “But first, our movie marathon.”

I laugh. “I love you so much, Cassian.”

“I love you too, bunny.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't meant to post this so late! But the next bit will cover Christmas, which I can't believe is like... so soon. wtf is time


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